Increased rent prices are on the top of voters mind ahead of the midterm election

DELMARVA – Election day for the November midterms is right around the corner.

We’re told that politicians are finally going to have to answer to voters. Rental prices have jumped tremendously impacting you no matter what side of the table you sit on. It’s not a question on this year’s ballot, but voters definitely want their elected officials to consider this concern.

“Rental prices are really high right now because inflation is hitting landlords, and obviously hitting the tenants with higher utility bills, some of the utility bills we’ve seen locally here on Delmarva have gone up over 100 percent,” says Dave Schmidt, founder of Delmarva Dave.

The mid-term election is 8 days away and with rent prices on the increase, many voters want to make sure elected officials address their concerns. “We live in a democracy and so elected officials are meant to represent their voters and their constituents,” says Dr. Donna Patterson, the Chair of the History, Political Science and Philosophy Department at Delaware State University.

That is represented by voters from all different backgrounds as rental prices impact everyone. “The rental shortage is not just affecting low-income people it’s affecting everybody, so you can’t just say here’s a voucher, it’s not a matter of money it’s we don’t have enough houses. Politicians are going to have to address something both locally and nationally,” says Schmidt.

Dave Schmidt, the founder of Delmarva Dave says the issue with elected officials is: everyone wants to help but not at their own cost. “That’s why I think there’s a lot of irony when it comes to politicians cause they say they want more affordable housing and they say they want to help people but in a lot of these little towns it’s kind of like not in my backyard like we don’t want rentals here, you know we need more rentals, but not in Denton not in Salisbury,” says Schmidt.

Rental prices may not be a question on this year’s ballot but it’s on voters’ minds and whoever is elected won’t be able to solve the problem overnight. “I think when you think about issues such as rent, there are a whole number of variables that come into play for instance I think you have some policymakers who may be committed to doing that. I also think it’s a longer-term project,” says Dr. Patterson.

Unfortunately, Schmidt does not see rent prices decreasing. “I don’t see rent necessarily dropping by that much, I mean in some areas it might normalize, kind of like housing prices but with the lack of inventory around, all around Delmarva – for that matter the whole country, I don’t see to going down right away, and also the cost, you have interest that has doubled, essentially in the last year, he adds.

Professor Donna Patterson says other issues ahead of this year’s election are the economy, women’s reproductive health access, and public loan forgiveness. Election day is November 8th and early voting has begun in both Delaware and Maryland.